RiotJane

If it wasn't for the frequent antique mall excursions my parents took me on as a child, I might be a totally different person. Even our family vacations were planned around where we could find good shops. Needless to say, I've held on to it my whole life. Half of my work reflects the world of the forgotten. Growing up near Detroit, there was no shortage of this. Once I entered my 20's, the area provided me with the perfect balance of the Great Outdoors, and city life. Mostly I found myself intrigued by the beautiful architecture of a city in neglect, and wanted to document it before it all disappeared. Sometimes I found myself too busy going through all of the materials that people had left behind and forgot that I was there with the purpose of taking photographs. I've taken a lot of slack from people because I choose to do this. "Ruin Porn" is a word that people like to throw around. This isn't exploitation. It's appreciation of something that is almost extinct. Now that I live on Long Island and have been busy traveling a bit more, there isn't so much decay, except for the rural variety. I have been focusing more on my nature portfolio and I'm probably a lot healthier for it.